


Tail End

by HashtagLEH



Series: MerMay 2020 [1]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Bisexual Tony Stark, Concubus Sam Wilson, Gay Bucky Barnes, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, MerMay, Merperson Tony Stark, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Tony Stark is not a Damsel in Distress, Vampire Steve Rogers, Werewolf Bucky Barnes, except he kind of is, mermaid au, that is explained in the notes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:35:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23921674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HashtagLEH/pseuds/HashtagLEH
Summary: “Oh, no, I’m fine, just leave me here,” the mer’s voice said sarcastically, switching to English. “Crawling on the ground like a land turtle is one of my hobbies, nothing to see here.”Bucky startled, realizing he was speaking tohimwhen the mer glanced up at him before looking back to the ground, concentrating on scooting himself forward, clearly already dismissing him as unwilling to help.Bucky immediately stepped forward, crouching down with arms extended suddenly uncertainly, not sure what to do from there. “Do you need help?"
Relationships: (background), James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson
Series: MerMay 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1724359
Comments: 15
Kudos: 433
Collections: IronSoldier, Supernatural Avengers





	Tail End

**Author's Note:**

> This month I'm gonna try and post as many fics for MerMay as I can. If you want to see them, follow me as an author or subscribe to the series. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Bucky was really not expecting anything of note to happen the day he met Tony Stark. It was a Thursday, easily the most boring of days, because the lethargy that preceded a weekend was there, but there was still a whole entire day to get through before he could start looking forward to the weekend.

As such, he was feeling a little guilty about ditching his Russian History class, but not guilty enough to actually _go_. Steve was in his art class, and Natasha was in her Sports Fitness class, so it wasn’t like he had much else to do when he ditched, but that didn’t stop him. He figured he could just hang out in the quad for a bit, enjoy the sun and warmth while it lasted before the Winter set in.

It was the middle of the day, so most people were in classes by the time Bucky arrived at the quad, but there were a few wandering around, either not having classes at the time or ditching as Bucky was. The cafeteria was on the other side of the quad, so there weren’t as many people on the side Bucky came in on.

However, as he went toward the picnic benches that he liked best for their seclusion, his ears picked up angry muttering and clicking, and he looked up from his phone to see who was talking in a language he didn’t recognize.

He stopped and stared at the man – at the _mer_ man – currently beached on the sidewalk, trying to drag himself forward. There was no pond or even fountain nearby, so why would the mer have changed into his finned form right there? He was still wearing the tee shirt and zip-up hoodie he’d been wearing before, backpack hanging awkwardly on his back, but his pants had been lost when his legs had become a fin. The fin was gorgeous, a deep red with an iridescent gold shimmer where the sun hit it, and Bucky stared, as confused as he was awed by the mer’s presence on the unforgiving, _dry_ concrete of the quad.

“Oh, no, I’m fine, just leave me here,” the mer’s voice said sarcastically, switching to English. “Crawling on the ground like a land turtle is one of my hobbies, nothing to see here.”

Bucky startled, realizing he was speaking to _him_ when the mer glanced up at him before looking back to the ground, concentrating on scooting himself forward, clearly already dismissing him as unwilling to help.

Bucky immediately stepped forward, crouching down with arms extended suddenly uncertainly, not sure what to do from there. “Do you need help? Why is your fin out?”

“Fucking _assholes_ ,” the mer grouched, pausing his slow crawl forward to complain. He looked up at Bucky, and Bucky was momentarily caught by the warm brown eyes flecked with gold, an unnatural color for any human. These were easily the most gorgeous eyes he’d ever seen.

“They threw water balloons at me while I was on my way to class,” the mer said bitterly, balling his hands briefly into fists. “I’ll be stuck like this for an hour, and I _really_ wanted to make it to my lecture. Doctor Banner is talking about gamma radiation and how it interacts with vampire blood versus baseline humans.”

“Oh yeah, my friend Stevie was one of the first vampires to have gamma radiation therapy,” Bucky said. “He can be in the sunlight without needing his supplements anymore – just needs some sunscreen.”

The mer squinted at him. “Wait, are you talking about Steve _Rogers_? Small, blond guy always rearing for a fight? President of GSA? Dating that one concubus – Sam?”

Bucky smiled wryly. “That’s the one. I guess by this point everyone knows who he is now. I have yet to successfully keep him out of fights. It’s what made him determined to become the president of GSA, a bunch of bigots picking on a dryad couple and one of the douchebags made some comment about it and Steve took it as a challenge.”

The mer snorted. “Of course he did,” he said dryly. “So I guess you’re Bucky, then.”

Bucky blinked at him, not having expected to be identified by the little information he provided, especially when said information was about Steve more than himself. “Yeah. How did you…?”

The mer waved a hand dismissively. “We were in a class together last year; he was my lab buddy. I’m Tony, by the way.”

“Oh!” Bucky’s confusion cleared as he remembered Steve talking about his lab buddy who lived on caffeine and smoothies. Steve had always been fondly exasperated with Tony, but he had never mentioned that Tony was a mer. Of course, he supposed it didn’t really matter, but he’d never actually _met_ a mer before. Different habitats, obviously, and merfolk didn’t often come to land, especially for the long lengths of time required to go to college.

“Anyway, great to meet you and all, but I need to get going if I want to catch the tail end of Banner’s lecture,” Tony said, rising up again to grapple with concrete to pull himself forward.

“I can carry you,” Bucky blurted, feeling almost physically pained as he watched the mer struggle. Tony paused and gave him an odd look. Bucky hastened to explain, “To your class, I mean. I don’t have class right now – or, well, I’m ditching it anyway – and I could carry you to your class.”

“You realize that merfolk have much higher bone density, right?” Tony raised an eyebrow skeptically. “I may not look it, but I’m about two hundred fifty pounds in this form.”

Bucky shrugged. “I can manage it.”

And he could. His muscles weren’t just for show, after all, and werewolves were stronger than your average baseline human as it was.

“Alright, Prince Eric,” Tony sighed like he was very put upon, only humoring Bucky, but Bucky could see the relief that swept through him. “Sweep me away.”

“Prince Eric?” Bucky raised an eyebrow, even as he helped Tony remove his backpack so that it wouldn’t get in the way when he carried him.

“I’ve seen just about every merfolk movie you land folk have come up with,” Tony declared. “There were gross inaccuracies with merfolk life and appearance and abilities, and Ariel definitely should have bartered for a better trade than giving up her voice, and cecaelias are actually really nice in general or at least as nice as other mers so that showed an alarming attitude of racism that I’ve found is reflected in land folk too, _but_ Prince Eric was hot. And he swept away the clueless mermaid with his charm – and this is _not_ an equal representation, because I will have you know that I am _not_ clueless. I am actually _very_ smart. I have been called a genius before, even.”

While he had been talking, Tony rolled over and sat up, straining his tail so that Bucky could fit an arm underneath, about midway down, and now Bucky gathered him up in his arms in a bridal carry, fin hanging over one arm while Tony wrapped his arms around Bucky’s neck for balance, one arm looped through the strap of his backpack while it rested between them.

“So, what I’m hearing is that you think I’m hot,” Bucky grinned. “Which building?”

“Clarke,” Tony instructed, and then addressed his previous statement with, “And if you’re straight, you can take that as a totally bro-like compliment to your general attractiveness.”

“And if I’m not straight?” Bucky teased, setting off where he was directed. Tony was heavy, just as he’d said, but it wasn’t so much that it strained him.

“Well, then take it as ‘your jaw could cut marble and your strength right now is a huge turn-on’,” Tony admitted without pause or shame. “Not a lot of humans could carry me as easily as you are.”

“Well, that might be because I’m a werewolf,” Bucky chuckled. “Comes with the territory.”

“No shit,” Tony said in surprise. “Well, it’s still hot, even knowing the reason for it. Although imagine if Prince Eric had been a werewolf. Wonder how Disney would’ve fucked _that_ up.”

“Probably would have made them puppy dogs,” Bucky supposed. “Or able to transform at will.”

Tony snorted. “Humans always get werewolves mixed up with shapeshifters,” he said. Bucky hummed in agreement.

“Well, to answer the question you haven’t asked, I am _very_ gay,” Bucky said. “And very attracted to you, too.” Tony’s face was close to his, due to their position, and Bucky tried to discreetly watch his eyelashes as they brushed across slightly glowing red-brown freckles every time he blinked.

“Oh, good,” Tony said, sounding very pleased as they walked – or, Bucky walked – into the Clarke building, drawing a few stares at the oddity of a mer’s tail out in the air with no water nearby. Then he squinted at Bucky. “This isn’t a kink thing though, is it? Because I don’t have seven dicks or whatever land folk think about mers. And I don’t really want to be sexualized for having a tail, or – or whatever it is you land folk like.”

Bucky snorted. “It is definitely _not_ a kink thing,” he said assuredly. “When people find out I’m a werewolf, I have enough time telling them that _no_ , I cannot and _would_ not transform just so that I can fuck you as a wolf. So I would never fetishize someone for their species.”

“Good,” Tony said, settling again. He pointed down the hallway they were going down. “There’s an elevator at the end on the right. I need to go to the third floor, room 347.”

As he followed Tony’s directions, he said, “So, we’re both legitimately attracted to each other. Do you want to grab dinner on Friday?”

“So long as it’s not sushi,” Tony said immediately, and then winced. “Okay, even to me that sounded demanding.”

“I thought you would’ve liked fish?” Bucky raised an eyebrow as he stepped into the elevator. Tony pressed the button for the third floor, since Bucky’s hands were otherwise occupied.

“Well, sure,” Tony said with a shrug. “But I’ve been eating raw fish for _literally_ my entire life. I’m on land now. I want to enjoy cooked things! Like noodles. Do you know how _great_ noodles are?”

“So, Italian then,” Bucky suggested. Tony clapped his hands in excitement, and Bucky took that as an agreement when he didn’t say or suggest otherwise.

They arrived at the classroom, and the professor at the front of the room glanced up at them, but then looked back down at the rest of the class, some sort of diagram visible on the board as he answered one student’s question. Bucky was glad he took this in stride, because it surely wasn’t normal for a transformed mer to be carried into class. He could see several students looking their way too, curious when they heard the door opening. They didn’t stare for long though, because the professor was still lecturing and they needed the notes.

Bucky set Tony down in the back of the classroom, at his own table so that he could lay his tail out while he waited to dry completely and get his legs back.

“Well, my personal Prince Eric, thank you for seeing me to class safely,” Tony said in a whisper so that no one else could eavesdrop, but also majestically enough to cause a smile to tug at Bucky’s lips at the exaggeration.

“It was my great honor, my watery prince,” Bucky whispered back, giving him a bow while acting like he was rearranging Tony’s tail, should the rest of the class happen to see and think it odd. He negated the thought though when he took Tony’s hand and kissed the back of it with the unmistakable air of exaggerated worship.

Tony flicked his tail a little, laughing as it batted against Bucky’s legs strong enough that he stumbled a little and gave him a little glare of mock affront.

“Oh – here’s my number,” Bucky said, grabbing the permanent marker clipped to his own backpack with his free hand, and then with the hand still holding Tony’s, he tugged it a bit closer to scrawl the number on the back of his hand so that it wouldn’t get smudged. “Your professor’s giving me looks now though, so I’ll just trust that you’ll text me when you can.” He kissed the back of Tony’s hand again, more quickly than before, and then with a last wink, rose completely and walked out the door.

It was as he was descending in the elevator that his phone vibrated with a text coming in. He opened it quickly, seeing it from a New York number and knowing immediately by the contents that it was Tony already.

_So the land folk tell me that Olive Garden isn’t ‘real’ Italian. I wouldn’t know – I’ve never been to Italy. But I’m also told it’s delicious and their pasta is great. Your thoughts?_

Bucky grinned and typed out a quick message. _They’re right on both counts. Olive Garden it is._

**Author's Note:**

> About Sam being a concubus: I saw a post somewhere (probably Tumblr, tbh) where it was talking about the etymology of incubus vs. succubus not being boy vs. girl, but top versus bottom, and how someone who would switch – if they were following the Latin process of naming – would be called a concubus. Now, I headcanon that Sam would totally switch back and forth with Steve, but I also figured that in this universe that was created that maybe concubus would be a neutral way of identifying species, a way of not assuming one way or the other. So this wasn’t identifying what they did in bed but Tony identifying Sam’s species. But I may play with that later in another fic, because I love the idea of concubi.


End file.
